1963
This is a list of various things that took place in 1963. Significant events Unknown date *The World Wide Wrestling Federation is formed after NWA promoters Vince McMahon, Sr., Toots Mondt and Willie Gilzenberg withdraw their Northeastern promotion, Capitol Wrestling, from the Alliance in protest over Lou Thesz's NWA World Heavyweight Championship win over Buddy Rogers on January 24 in Toronto, Ontario, noting that the title change occurred in a one-fall match (title matches of the time were generally best-of-three falls) February *7 - NWA World Champion Lou Thesz retains his title in a return best-of-three falls match over Buddy Rogers in Toronto March *15 - Boxer Archie Moore beats Mike Dibiase by KO in the third round of a boxer vs. wrestler bout in Phoenix, Arizona April *15 - Lou Thesz pins boxer "Jersey" Joe Walcott in the fourth round of a wrestler vs. boxer bout in Memphis, Tennessee May *17 - Bruno Sammartino wins the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Buddy Rogers in a reported 48 seconds, forcing him to submit to a backbreaker. Through the years, many stories and rumors have circulated about circumstances surrounding the title change, but what results is crystal clear: a championship reign that will last through January 1971 (seven years and eight months), and a run that to this day has not come close to being matched. No film footage of the match is believed to exist. *19 - The Destroyer beats Rikidozan in Osaka, Japan, which instantly elevates Destroyer to legend status among puroresu fans in Japan for his win over Japan's top star of the time; this would also be Rikidozan's last loss as a singles wrestler December *4 - NWA International Champion Rikidozan retains his title over The Destroyer in Osaka, in what would turn out to be Rikidozan's final match *8 - Rikidozan is stabbed with a urine-soaked knife by gangster Katsuji Murata in an apparent Yakuza hit while partying at a nightclub in Tokyo. Health complications from the stabbing would lead to Rikidozan's death one week later Births March *16 - La Rata I *19 - Brazo de Plata *23 - Valente Fernández *25 - Contracara April *18 - Universo 2000 June *10 - Gigante Warrior *16 - Jim Fullington (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) *22 - John Tenta *24 - Ángel Azteca July *21 - Gigante Silva *28 - Lioness Asuka (Saitama, Japan) August *2 - El Hijo del Santo *16 - Tarzan Goto *20 - Guerrero Samurai II *21 - Yoko Ono *22 - Oyuki September *8 - Panther Boy *17 - Masa Chono (Seattle, Washington) *28 - Steve Blackman (Annville, Pennsylvania) November *1 - Billy Gunn December *4 - Chief Battu *5 - La Figura Deaths March *7 - Billy Wolfe September *22 - Charro Aguayo December *15 - Rikidozan 39 (Peritonitis caused by stab wounds) *26 - Gorgeous George 48 (Heart attack) Debuts Unknown date *"Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods February *5 - Escorpion I March *1 - Rubén "Pato" Soria July *19 - Kotetsu Yamamoto September *16 - Saeta Azteca November *1 - Aníbal Events Title changes January *1 - Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff win the AWA World Tag Team Championship from Doug Gilbert and Dick Steinborn in Minneapolis, Minnesota *24 - Lou Thesz wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Buddy Rogers in Toronto, Ontario *26 - Herb Freeman wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Mad Dog Vachon in Portland, Oregon February *11 - Gene Kiniski and Mr. X win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Sandor Kovacs and Dan Miller in Vancouver, British Columbia *15 - The Crusher wins the Omaha version of the World Heavyweight Championship from Verne Gagne in Omaha, Nebraska *16 - Mad Dog Vachon regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Herb Freeman in Portland March *7 - Buddy Austin and The Great Scott win the NWA United States Tag Team Championship from Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend in Washington, DC *11 - Mitsu Arakawa and Kenji Shibuya win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Gene Kiniski and Mr. X in Vancouver April *Buddy Rogers is recognized as the first WWWF Heavyweight Champion when Capitol Wrestling withdraws from the NWA and is renamed the WWWF (WWE claims that Rogers won the title in a tournament final over Antonino Rocca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but the tournament is fictitious, created at the time as a cover for awarding Rogers the title); at the same time, the NWA United States Tag Team title is renamed as the WWWF United States Tag Team title May *10 - Herb Freeman regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Mad Dog Vachon in Portland *16 - Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard win the WWWF United States Tag Team title from Buddy Austin and The Great Scott in Washington, DC *17 - Bruno Sammartino wins the WWWF title from Buddy Rogers in New York City; Mad Dog Vachon regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Herb Freeman in Portland June *John Paul Henning is awarded the Toronto version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Henning was claimed to have won the title from Johnny Valentine in a fictitious match in Washington, DC) July *5 - Billy White Wolf wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Mad Dog Vachon in Portland *9 - The Crusher wins the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Verne Gagne in Minneapolis *11 - Johnny Valentine wins the NWA Toronto United States title from John Paul Henning in Toronto *20 - Verne Gagne regains the AWA World title and wins the Omaha World title from The Crusher in Minneapolis *22 - Gene Kiniski wins the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship from Whipper Billy Watson in Vancouver; Ron Etchison and Dan Miller win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Mitsu Arakawa and Kenji Shibuya in Vancouver *27 - Fritz Von Erich wins the AWA and Omaha World titles from Verne Gagne in Omaha August *8 - Verne Gagne regains the AWA World title from Fritz Von Erich in Amarillo, Texas *20 - The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser win the AWA World Tag Team title from Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff in Minneapolis *24 - Tony Borne wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Billy White Wolf in Portland September *5 - King Curtis Iaukea wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Tony Borne in Portland *7 - The AWA and Omaha World titles are unified (as the AWA World title) when AWA World Champion Verne Gagne wins the Omaha World title from Fritz Von Erich in a title unification match in Omaha *19 - Tony Borne regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from King Curtis Iaukea in Portland October *1 - Kenji Shibuya and Sweet Daddy Siki win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Ron Etchison and Dan Miller in Vancouver *17 - The Beast wins the NWA Toronto United States title from Johnny Valentine in Toronto *30 - Nick Bockwinkel wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Tony Borne in Salem, Oregon November *11 - Dan Miller and Whipper Billy Watson win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Kenji Shibuya and Sweet Daddy Siki in Vancouver (the title is vacated later in the year) *14 - Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon win the WWWF United States Tag Team title from Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard in Washington, DC *21 - Mad Dog Vachon wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Nick Bockwinkel in Portland *28 - The Crusher wins the AWA World title from Verne Gagne in St. Paul, Minnesota December *14 - Verne Gagne regains the AWA World title from The Crusher in Minneapolis *28 - John and Chris Tolos win the WWWF United States Tag Team title from Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon in Teaneck, New Jersey See also Category:Wrestling Years